Two incumbents, three newcomers seek seats in Nov. 5 election

Oct. 8, 2013

Nuss / Jennie Key/The Community Press

Written by

Emmert

Miranda

Cleary

Jackson

The Winton Woods School District, spread across the communities of Greenhills, Forest Park, and Springfield Township, has five candidates running for three seats on the board of education.

• Incumbent Tim Cleary says he’s running for re-election because he believes in public education and feels he has a lot to offer. Cleary said all three of his children graduated from Winton Woods schools and he wants to see the district continue to pursue excellence.

As the current board president, Cleary says he kept academics as a priority focus and developed specific board tools to align student achievement and educational reform.

“We established three board committees – student achievement, financial advisory, and communication and community engagement – that align with and drive the three goals of the district’s strategic plan,” he said.

“While the district’s results on the state’s most recent Local Report Card are abysmal, there is evidence that we are moving in the right direction. Data shows that if the old report card system was still in place, Winton Woods City Schools would have likely been rated as effective,” not academic watch.”

Cleary says he is committed to staying in the district’s operational budget while looking for ways to reduce expenses, outsource, and secure non-tax revenue. He says the district needs to focus on capturing revenue from outside the district to help pay its operating costs. He said programs such as the International Students program could help increase available funds.

If elected, he says he will continue to support the strategic, transformational plan of action being implemented by Superintendent Anthony Smith and will work to create opportunities for interaction with all stakeholders through focus groups and community forums.

He also wants to extend the current operational levy to 2018 or beyond while working to increase the district’s student base to secure additional funding outside of the community with a goal of $1 million in revenue.

• Incumbent Cindy Emmert has served on the board of education for 15 years. A greenhouse and garden center manager, she says she’s running for re-election because she enjoys the work, enjoys the students and believes she brings experience, a knowledge of history and a sense of calm to the board.

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Married with a daughter who teaches in a nearby district, she is a graduate of Greenhills High School and Ohio State University. She has served as the board representative to the Great Oaks board for 13 years.

“I am an advocate for public education and feel every student can achieve to their highest abilities with the right tools, teachers, and support,” she said. “I have lived and worked in the district my whole life, so I feel I have vested interest in our schools success.”

Emmert said if elected, her priorities would continue to focus on student success.

“All students can succeed,” she said. “It’s our job to find out how and help them.”

She says she would make sure that the financial resources of the district are being used to their maximum potential for student learning. Emmert said the board has cut 3.3 million and extended the levy out to at least 2016.

Emmert says students with disabilities in the district performed well on the recent report card.

“We focused on that section. We might want to look at what we’re doing there and apply it to other student groups.”

She says she is open to frank conversations about the district. “Communication is a two-way street,” she said. “And I’ll talk to anyone who has questions or concerns.”

She says there are no excuses accepted for poor performances. “All students are entitled to an education that challenges them and has them ready for life’s choices after high school,” she said.

• Viola Johnson says she’s running because she remembers when the Winton Woods district was excellent. She says she wants to help create an atmosphere that meets the learning needs of the students and challenges and empowers the students to pursue their highest level of academic excellence.

She has lived in the district since 1986 and she and her husband have three children who have graduated from district schools all with scholarships and still have a son who is a junior at the high school. She has a bachelor's, a master’s and a doctorate in education.

“I love this community,” she said. “I care deeply about the success of our schools and when you truly care about something, you don’t let it fall, you don’t abandon it. As a member of the board I would do my best to revitalize, rebuild and restore the district. This is my home, my neighbors and my family.

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She says she hears people wanting to get back to academic excellence, fiscal responsibility and performance standards. They are concerned about their property values in a school district that is not performing well.

“In working with students in general – I teach at a college – I know what it is when a student come in and is under prepared. I want to set up policies that will help with the transitions into college and make these students are ready.”

Financial sustainability is important, to her as well. Making sure that money is going where it should be is important, Jackson said. She says that the district needs to be sure it is employing the most effective strategies to support student-centered learning. She said it’s important to pursue community partnerships to support services such as tutoring, afterschool care programs and learning centers.

“Looking at other school districts and seeing their academic best practices also could help us employ better fiscal responsibility,” she said.

• Jessica Miranda has owned and operated a local insurance and tax service agency in Forest Park for three years. She is a licensed property and casualty insurance broker. She has eight years of experience in financial services. She is also secretary of the Latino Coalition of Southwest Ohio and says she volunteers with local organizations focused on education and community outreach within.

She says she is running to make sure her children and all children in the district receive a quality public education. She said she believes the district needs change and new leadership to bring it where it needs to be and progress.

Miranda has two children who attend Winton Woods schools. A part of the community for more than 20 years, she says she is deeply involved at her daughter’s school and serves as vice president of the PTA. She has also served as She says she is student-focused and wants to foster partnerships in the district.

She says residents are concerned about academic performance.

“Winton Woods’ academic scores have been mediocre and noncompetitive with surrounding schools especially right here in Hamilton County for the past 10 years,” she said.

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Raising expectations to improve student achievement is a top priority for her. She says it’s important to make sure the administrative costs are in line with a district of its size and making sure money is funneled to the classroom for students and wants to pursue community engagement if elected.

The district’s financial sustainability is important, Miranda said. She said the district needs to strengthen its business and community partnerships, as well.

Miranda says it is important that the district perform better for its students. “It is imperative. We must put candidates on the board that are going to lead our district to progress and who are going work side by side with our new superintendent to get accountability for the students, the staff and the parents for improving this district.”

• Chelsea Nuss says she is passionate about providing the highest quality instruction and educational opportunities and resources for the children of the district.

She has coached Upward basketball, and is a Cub Scout leader, and the founder and executive director of Docere4Parents, a resource and coaching initiative directed at parents of children aged 3-7.

Nuss has lived in the district for six years and she and her husband have two children. She is a business owner and also has worked as a substitute teacher for Winton Woods and other districts.

Nuss says she is running for the board because she has first-hand knowledge of the parents of the district from her time as a substitute teacher and as a parent, has a vested interest in the success of the district.

Nuss says being a substitute teacher in the district showed her the importance of two-way communication and engagement. She says parents want to be sure the board hears the needs they have and want to be included before decisions are made. She said parents are also concerned about the district’s financial situation and that funds are being directed to the right places as property values decrease.

“If the vision for our children is to create global learners, then every issue concerning the budget must be made in alignment with our mission,” she said. “Programs requiring the most serious attention and failing federal mandates need to get priority consideration.”

Nuss says she believes leadership starts from the top and if elected, says she will strongly support and analyze curriculum development and implementation. She says providing top quality instruction to all students is paramount. She also says if elected, she will support efforts to establish and maintain communication and parental involvement in the district.

Nuss said the board’s role in the district is to create the culture or morale.

“Because a high expectation is not paramount or modeled, we struggle repeatedly in community involvement and academics,” she said. “To that end, I will promote and question all programs, and curriculum to ensure they meet the standard of academic excellence for all students.”